Church Planter and Random Thinker

Our Appetites

I remember hearing a sermon from Andy Stanley at Passion a few years back covering this section of scripture. I have heard tons of sermons over the years, but honestly I cannot remember most- sad times considering the fact that I myself preach sermons now weekly and do everything possible to make them rememberable. But this one stuck with me…

To summarize the main idea, Esau was hungry; like most of us get after being outside all day working. But this time he let his appetite get the best of him, he let it control him and in doing so he sold his birthrate. The thing that was rightfully his by birth he gave it away for a bowl of soup.

I think this story (that sermon) sticks in my mind so much because at first glance it seems ridiculous. Who in their right mind would give up so much for so little. I mean soup for your birthright ludicrous, no way. That’s what he should of said, but instead Esau responds by saying, “What good is my birthright to me now,” (NLT v32). I believe Esau was guilty of what all of us are, trading the promises and guarantees of the future for the satisfaction of the present.

We all do this everyday when we sin- our appetites for fame, money, power, sex, ect. control us to the point that we think we are, as Esau says, “dying of starvation (news flash people can go 40 days without eating) but in that moment all you are consumed with is feeding that need. We are all addicted, acting and responding to our desires like junkies in desperate need of a fix. A fix that is only temporary, but we sacrifice what we know as truth for what disguise itself as truth. Sin my friends is powerful. It causes us to look, well, stupid and do things that if in our right minds we would never consider doing.

So in what areas is your appetite getting the best of you? Where are you being tricked into giving up the promises of the future for the fake satisfactions of the present?

The good news is that Jesus, if we fix on gaze on him, becomes the thing we long to be fulfilled by! And little buy little through his power transforming us, learn how to gain better control of ourselves.